2025 Outstanding Unit

Rachel Schwab, left, coordinator; Theresa Haghnazarian, director; and Bethany DeLong, associate director, have reimagined how the College of Health, Education and Human Services Enrollment and Retention Team engages with future students and supports them on the path to graduation. (Photo by Erin Pence)

Fueled by creativity, collaboration and a student-first focus, Wright State University’s College of Health, Education and Human Services Enrollment and Retention Team has reimagined how it engages with future students and supports them on the path to graduation.

The team’s innovative work has boosted enrollment, strengthened student support and built a vibrant community — earning them Wright State University’s 2025 Outstanding Unit Award.

Over the past three years, the team — Theresa Haghnazarian, director; Bethany DeLong, associate director; and Rachel Schwab, coordinator — has transformed the college’s recruitment and retention efforts into a coordinated and personalized operation.

The results speak for themselves: fall 2024 enrollment in the college rose 9% over the previous year and fall 2025 numbers are tracking 6.7% higher than the same time last year.

“The Enrollment and Retention Team’s primary objective is to support students through their Wright State journey, from recruitment through graduation,” Schwab said. “In my time with this team, I have seen the college transform from the remnants of two separate units into a cohesive college with a clear mission and vision.”

From large-scale events like Future Teachers Day and the Wright State and Premier Health Nursing and Health Careers Camp to specialized Aviation Visit Days and nursing lab tours, the team delivers successful recruitment experiences.

The team organizes some of Wright State’s most successful recruitment events, including Future Teachers Day, the Wright State and Premier Health Nursing and Health Careers Camp, Aviation Visit Days and Nursing Lab Tours. These events routinely attract hundreds of prospective students and boast impressive yield rates. Wright State’s Admissions team even cited the Nursing Lab Tours as the model for program-specific campus visits.

The Enrollment and Retention Team’s work doesn’t stop at recruitment. The team plays a vital role in student success, managing education and nursing program applications, overseeing the Dean’s Student Advisory Board and Dean’s Scholars and supporting retention-focused programming. Events like CHEH Kick Off, Cards for Kids, Donuts with the Dean and Trivia Night foster a sense of belonging and strengthen the student experience.

The team also supports the Premier Health Wright State Nursing Academy, which provides scholarship funds and workforce opportunities at Premier Health sites for nursing students.

One of the team’s most meaningful initiatives grew out of the annual Trivia Night fundraiser: the creation of a Student Emergency Fund, which provides one-time financial support to students facing unexpected hardships, helping them stay on track toward graduation. In 2023, the college’s persistence rate reached 76.4%, surpassing the university average, a testament to the team’s impact.